Bill Gates and Warren Buffett
Bill Gates
Without it, your life is a disaster, no matter how great your wealth
When Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates sat down for an interview with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month, the two answered questions generated by an artificial intelligence chatbot similar to ChatGPT.
The robot asked Gates what was the best advice he had received and how it had affected his life. In response, the 67-year-old billionaire borrowed some words from his longtime friend and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett on the subject of friendship.
“Warren Buffett talked about how friends really think of you and how powerful those friendships are,” Gates said [وهذا هو المهم]”.
Gates and Buffett have been friends for over 3 decades. Their common interests go beyond their wealth: the two co-founded “The Giving Pledge”, which encourages the world’s wealthy to donate at least half of their wealth to charitable causes, according to CNBC, and Al Arabiya.net viewed it.
Gates previously discussed the lessons he learned from Buffett, 92, from investing to time management. He consistently puts Buffett’s advice on friendship high on that list.
“I’ve learned a lot of things from Buffett over the past 25 years, but perhaps the most important thing is what friendship is all about,” Gates wrote in a 2016 blog post.
“Even though he maintains a hectic schedule, Warren still finds time to cultivate friendships like few other people I know,” Gates added. “He picks up the phone and calls to say hello. He regularly sends articles that he reads, thinks about…and writes a comment [أجدها ممتعة]”.
Buffett often talks about the importance of choosing good friends, and being a good friend yourself. That means surrounding yourself with “people who are better than you,” so you can learn from them and be inspired by them, he said in a 2017 conversation with Gates at Columbia University. “You’re going to move in the direction of the people you relate to.”
“Some friends bring out the best in you, so it’s good to invest in those friendships,” Gates said.
And research shows that strong, meaningful friendships can be very important to your career success, including boosting your self-esteem and mental resilience. According to the Mayo Clinic, maintaining good friendships throughout your life makes you happier and less stressed, which improves your health and well-being.
Bloomberg estimates Gates and Buffett’s net worth at $220 billion, but they seem to agree that happiness derived from lasting friendships is a true sign of success.
“When you get to my age, you will really measure your success in life by the number of people you want to love who actually love you,” Buffett said in a speech at the University of Georgia in 2001.
He continued, “I know people who have a lot of money, get a good dinner and have some hospital suites named after them.” But the truth is, nobody in the world likes them. If I get to my age in life and no one thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is – your life is a disaster.”
